News. Community. Wellness.

Police Chief John Hagarty talks fentanyl, building community, and basic income

It’s the last year for John Hagarty as Lindsay’s chief of police, given his imminent retirement next fall, and it’s not shaping up to be an easy one.

The wave of fentanyl and other opioid-related deaths that has been surging across Canada has finally hit small-town Ontario – including Lindsay, Kawartha Lakes, and nearby Peterborough.

Hagarty knew it was coming to Kawartha Lakes. It was only a matter of time. Not only is there fentanyl to worry about, there is a far deadlier version known as carfentanil – a synthetic heroin laced with elephant tranquilizers, and 100 times more potent than regular fentanyl. Just a few granules are enough to be lethal, and they can easily be hidden within other drugs.

When asked if there are any similarities to the older crack cocaine crisis, the chief says it’s not the same at all.

“No, this is different. Crack cocaine was destroying lives, but it wasn’t causing overdoses and deaths.”

But the fentanyl issue does remind Hagarty of another drug challenge from a few years ago — methamphetamine, or crystal meth.

“I believe that the drug users are going to figure out that they are at a real risk of killing themselves, and stop using fentanyl-laced drugs,” Hagarty tells The Lindsay Advocate, “much as I believe they learned what methamphetamine was doing to them,” in the past.

Making Changes

When Hagarty arrived in Lindsay 12 years ago from the Stratford Police Service, there were three key areas he knew he wanted to address right away.

“We didn’t have a dedicated officer working on illegal drugs. We implemented that and almost immediately saw a reduction in drug related crimes like break and enters,” he says.

The Kawartha Lakes Police Service also had “dated and failing technology” and that was addressed.

The working environment Hagarty encountered could be summed up as “us versus them,” he says, and he and his team were able to make cultural changes to address this.

In fact, relationship building seems to be a key strength of the outgoing police chief. After arriving he made sure to facilitate a trusting and respectful relationship between the chief, police association and the police services board.

“That allowed us to work together collaboratively to solve problems without the need for grievances or arbitration,” says Hagarty.

In fact, in the 12 years Hagarty has served as chief there hasn’t been a single grievance or matter for arbitration. It’s not a philosophy he only considers for internal relationships, either.

“We have positive connections within every possible community organization and agency,” he says.

“We work in partnership with them collaboratively to try and solve problems. Sometimes we lead and sometimes we follow, but we always listen and adapt as we move forward,” says the chief.

Hagarty has seen a lot of changes in policing since he first became an officer.

He notes that public accountability has increased significantly, with more oversight bodies in place now, like the Special Investigations Unit and the Office of the Independent Police Review Director.

“Our equipment and use of force options and training have been enhanced,” too, says Hagarty.

“I started with a revolver, handcuffs and a 26 inch baton,” he points out.

Now, an officer is issued a pistol, handcuffs, expandable baton, OC spray (pepper spray) and a Taser, all of it with annual training.

Back when Hagarty started out as an officer, a typical Friday night would mean going “to domestics, bar fights, and arrest an impaired driver or two.”

“Now we still go to those and do that, but we are increasingly dealing with mental health issues, often making apprehensions, attending drug over doses,” all of which is significantly more time consuming than before.

Under Hagarty’s watch the position of ‘domestic violence coordinator’ was created, someone who reviews all of the domestic violence calls and ensures that they have been appropriately investigated and followed up on when necessary. This position also liaises with and works collaboratively with community partners, such as Women’s Resources.

Community Wellness

The police chief says he is a big believer in programs that help the overall community “because an unhealthy community…reduces individual development and increases their risk of victimization, resulting in crimes against them and others.”

“I believe that people need hope and an opportunity to succeed,” says Hagarty.

Without that sense of optimism, it can result in too many forms of escapism, including the abuse of legal and illegal substances, he says.

“This harms them, their families and most importantly their children who often get caught in a cycle of hopelessness,” the chief says.

Roderick Benns is the publisher of The Lindsay Advocate. He is the author of 'Basic Income: How a Canadian Movement Could Change the World,' and is also Vice Chair of the Ontario Basic Income Network. An award-winning author and journalist who grew up in Lindsay, Roderick has interviewed former Prime Ministers of Canada, Senators, and Mayors across Canada. He also wrote and published a series of books for youth about Canada's Prime Ministers as teens.

1 Comment

Chief Hagarty spins a rosy narrative of progress that does not reflect the facts.

While there may have been no grievances during his tenure, there have been plenty of lawsuits and OIPRD/OCCPS field so many complaints that their mediators say they do not even read them unless the chief of the service complained about wants an investigation.

I disagree with using policing resources to control and/or correct mental health. So much distress classified as mental illness, with the accompanying stigma, is caused by social injustice. Criminalizing it just increases suffering and institutionalizes oppression.

I am not sure we need to rationalize basic income on a results basis. I think it should be recognized as a human right with no strings attached and no demand for results-based rationalization. A livable income is a basic human right and a matter of social conscience. In my view, it should be legislated federally, administered by CRA software, and not policed. Affording people the dignity of income security must be coupled with the freedom to self determine. Exploiting them as test subjects defeats equality.

About

The Lindsay Advocate is an online news magazine for Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, focused on the social and economic wellness of the town. While we cover most aspects of community life, we have a particular interest in poverty reduction.